The out-of-pocket cost of living with obesity: Results from a survey in Spain, South Korea, Brazil, India, Italy, and Japan.
Obes Sci Pract
; 10(4): e70000, 2024 Aug.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39144067
ABSTRACT
Objectives:
In many countries, obesity treatments are not fully reimbursed by healthcare systems. People living with obesity (PwO) often pay out-of-pocket (OOP) for pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, placing them in a position of financial risk to manage their condition. This study sought to understand the OOP expenditures and non-financial costs incurred by PwO to manage weight.Methods:
A 25-min cross-sectional online survey was conducted with PwO between ages 18-60 in Italy, Japan, India, Brazil, Spain and South Korea. Respondents were recruited using proprietary vendor panels and non-probability sampling. N = 600 participants completed the survey (n = 100 per country).Results:
The mean annual OOP expenditure related to weight loss/management was $7,351, accounting for nearly 17% of annual household income. Costs generally increased by BMI. Half or more of the respondents agreed that obesity affected multiple aspects of their lives (outside activities, running a household, social life, work, family life, traveling). 46% agreed that obesity limited their job prospects.Conclusion:
PwO spend a notable amount of their income paying OOP expenditures related to managing their weight. Quantifying the individual economic burden of living with obesity can inform the understanding of the resources required and policy changes needed to treat obesity as a disease.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
País/Región como asunto:
America do sul
/
Brasil
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Obes Sci Pract
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
Pais de publicación:
Estados Unidos